Shloka 4
The Greatness of Kāśī (Avimukta): Pilgrimage Calendar, Yātrā-Dharma, and the Network of Śiva-Liṅgas
आषाढे चापि गंधर्वैर्यात्रेयं विहिता शुभैः । प्रियादेव्यास्तु कुंडे वै स्नानपूजनकारकैः ॥ ४ ॥
āṣāḍhe cāpi gaṃdharvairyātreyaṃ vihitā śubhaiḥ | priyādevyāstu kuṃḍe vai snānapūjanakārakaiḥ || 4 ||
Und auch im Monat Āṣāḍha wurde diese Yātrā glückverheißend von den Gandharvas eingesetzt—von jenen, die am heiligen Kuṇḍa der Herrin Priyādevī rituell baden und verehren.
Narada (narrating tirtha-mahatmya, as preserved in the Uttara-Bhaga tradition)
Vrata: none (tirtha-yātrā observance)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames a specific tirtha-observance as divinely sanctioned: the merit-bearing act is not merely travel, but ritual purity (snāna) and reverent worship (pūjana) performed at Priyādevī’s sacred kuṇḍa, especially in the auspicious month of Āṣāḍha.
Bhakti is expressed here through embodied devotion—approaching a sacred site, bathing as an act of inner purification, and offering pūjā with faith—showing that devotion is lived through disciplined, reverent action at a sanctified place.
The verse reflects practical kalā/ritual timing—observing a specific lunar month (Āṣāḍha) for yātrā—aligning with Jyotiṣa-style calendrical awareness used to choose auspicious periods for rites and pilgrimages.